STUDENTS’ AND TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF SOME DIFFICULT CONCEPTS IN BIOLOGY IN SOME SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
CHAPTER ONE
- Background to the Study
Science provides a body of knowledge for use in addressing various forms of human, materials and environmental problems. It can also be composed of two major complementary modes:
- Accumulation of knowledge through exploration and discovery efforts about the natural word
- Use of such knowledge of human and material development. (Agu, 2006), (Idika, 2008).
Biology is one of the Senior Secondary Schools subjects taught in Nigeria. Biology is an integral science subject which provides content in the training of students who wants to study medicine, fisheries and so on as postulated by Nnamdi Anne, (2003). Over time, government and non- governmental agencies in most developing countries in the world having recognized the importance of science and technology are putting more in terms of resources and funds to encourage the teaching and learning of science in Senior Secondary Schools in which Biology is not an exception. This justifies the inclusion of Biology in the school curriculum right from primary to tertiary levels of education in Nigeria schools.
According to Babalola, (2008) the content and text of current biology curriculum placed emphasis on field studies guided discoveries, laboratory teaching and skills, coupled with conceptual thinking.The provision of sufficient and relevant instructional resources which must be optimally utilized.
In Nigeria today, the attitude of students and teachers lack of interest have been reported to be the major factor responsible for teacher-student perception of difficulty in science. (Oni,2006 ; Ajayi, 2000 and Uroroh, 2004). Furthermore, studies examined on research in science education indicted that teachers’ qualification, teaching experience, instructional methods and materials, teachers effectiveness and gender may be responsible for their perception of difficulty. For instance, (David, 2004 and Bankole, 2009) opined that professionally, qualified teachers who had long years of experience are more effective in teaching than their counterpart who either are not professionally qualified or who have few years of teaching experience though they are professionally qualified.
Adebakin, (2002) also posits that students age and interest, motivation, attitude, gender coupled with students study habits are factors responsible for their perception of difficult concepts in Biology.
